#while all being gifty

[giftyforyou]

Wait oh my god you kin gifty? I'm so sorry I did not eat you as Ozeca I promise gently holds and pats

i'm genuinely unsure at first it was a joke but then i set up the blog aesthetic and went WAIT

being called gifty makes me happy all i know for sure :)

[mjtheartist04]

Happy FruitBats🦇🍒 day and Happy Anniversary to my wonderful sweet darling wife @hypocriticaltypwriter

Already One year of being best friends and yet it feels like we’ve been friends my whole life🥺…

God I sometimes don’t know what to say because I feel like words are not enough to express how much I appreciate and love you…

Thank you…gosh! just thank you for being such a supportive and caring friend! for being there for me when I needed it and for making me such beautiful thoughtful gifts. I always admire the person that you are, so kind and hardworking, always bringing a smile on peoples faces, one of the sweetest and kindest souls I’ve had the honor of meeting…i couldn’t ask for a better friend💕🥹

I treasure every little moment and every little memory we have together, my days always become so much brighter when I spend them with you, even if it’s just for a small moment, you’ve never failed to put a smile on my silly face. and I can’t wait to spend many more years and make lots of new memories with you🫶

Love you to the moon and back🌙💖

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Jay Kuo at The Status Kuo:

There’s a strange phenomenon occurring with the terminally online right. Ever since Vice President Kamala Harris announced that Gov. Tim Walz would be her running mate, many of the right have acted with fury. They’ve attempted to “Swift Boat” his 24-year service record in the Army National Guard. They’ve called him a racist for talking about “white guy tacos.” And they’ve dredged up a nearly 30-year old DUI—for which he took accountability and after which he stopped drinking altogether—to prove he’s somehow not so perfect a role model.

What they haven’t been able to do is make any of this stick. And yet, Walz continues to draw fire, which could otherwise have been directed at Harris. In other words, Walz is turning out to be a shrewd pick. At net 11 points positive favorability in polls, Walz is immensely more popular than his counterpart on the GOP ticket, JD Vance, who is underwater by nine. And as they continue to rail against him, the right keeps making his fundamental point about them: They are just really weird. In today’s piece, I explore some theories about why Walz brings out the worst impulses of the right just by being who he is. Then I’ll lay down some political tarot cards and prognosticate about where I think this leads.

Politico Uno Reverse

By most identity measures, Walz should be one of the MAGA right. He’s a midwestern white dude in his late 50s. He loves to hunt and is a sharpshooter. He served for decades in the military and achieved the highest enlisted rank of Command Sergeant Major. He was a football coach who helped lead his team to the state championship. And yet, despite all these identity markings, Walz in an unabashed progressive. He is for reproductive rights and an ally and protector of gay teens. And there isn’t a bigoted bone in his body. It’s as if when Harris picked him, she played, as writer Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman succinctly described it, a “political uno reverse.” The Walz card threw it right back at them, as if to say, “I’m a guy just like you, but without any of the weird baggage.” The MAGA GOP’s base is supposed to include white guys like Walz. But here is living evidence that they don’t have all of them or the best of them. That’s why they’re so eager to discredit him, because if they don’t, as psychologist Julie Hotard notes, then Walz will stand instead as a model of what is possible. On many levels, an appealing, white, male Democrat is a far bigger threat to their sense of identity than even a biracial woman candidate for president.

[...]

Attacking Mr. Nice Guy

For the past two decades, the GOP has shifted markedly toward being a party of cruelty, of “owning” the libs and drinking their tears, and of being as unpleasant and in-your-face as they can be. That kind of behavior has been rewarded with appearances on Fox and other right wing media, fundraising dollars from the MAGA base, and a spot at the side or in the tweets of the ex-president himself. As author Patrick S. Tomlinson observed, Walz represents what shouldn’t be an extraordinary notion: that you can be a nice guy, supportive of women, embracing of gay people, and still be all the coded masculine ideals of soldier, football coach, hunter and father that the MAGA right believed it had a lock on. Plus, you can be all those things without ever asking weird questions about menstrual cycles, chromosomes and genitalia. The right even tried to make a big deal about Walz’s efforts as governor to ensure free tampons were available to girls in school. Rumors circulated that schools had been required to also put tampons in boys’ bathrooms, but those claims turned out to be untrue, while demonstrating how off kilter the right becomes over sexuality and gender. The “Tampon Tim” moniker didn’t stick. On the contrary, there are probably many moms and dads grateful for a governor like Walz who is thinking about their daughters’ needs.

Jay Kuo explains the real reason why the right is being driven crazy by Tim Walz: The fact that he has a profile that would typify a MAGA voter (football coach, military service, loves to hunt) yet is a progressive white dude (solid LGBTQ+ rights ally before it became fashionable among Democrats).

[mandiemegatron]

ꜰᴏᴜʀ ᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ ᴡᴇ ᴍɪꜱꜱᴇᴅ

A Trafalgar Law/YN mini ficlet ✨️💖

Rated: G

Fluff, slow romance, Law being annoyed that he has emotions.

A/N: A lil gifty-poo for my friend @baka-tsuki - I hope you have a better night bestie and I hope you enjoy this lil treat 👀✨️💖

We love soft Law in this household! I hope you all enjoy 🥺💖✨️

Header by @baka-tsuki / @baka-tsuki-2 💖

The first time Laws skin brushed yours, it was like a spark had run through his fingers as he handed you a cup of tea, crawling up his entire arm until the tingles settled at the back of his neck. You didn't notice how the tips of his ears burned, and he breathed a soft sigh of relief when you turned away. He locked himself in his office the rest of that night, his face buried in his hands as an irritated huff left him every once in a while.

Annoying.

The second time, your shoulders had bumped each others as you leaned on the railing up top, enjoying the last few moments of sun shine as it set for the day. He knew you loved sunsets, always finding you watching the sun fall into nothingness every time the sub was ascended and somehow found solace in spending those quiet moments with you.

His heart skipped a beat as you sighed, an almost lost look on your face as the sun finally disappeared beyond the waterline, looking up at him with a small smile. It skipped again as you thanked him for staying; he was unable to return the smile but gave a short nod instead, basking in the grin you gave in turn.

Incredibly annoying.

The third time, you'd stumbled into his office, holding your bleeding left shoulder. Your knees hit the ground and he was out of his chair in a flash, gently yet firmly grasping you by the uninjured shoulder.

"Y/N-ya, what the hell happened?!"

He hated how his voice cracked, shock and worry slipping through the cracks in his skin as he flew into doctor mode. He didn't even give you a chance to respond as he summoned a room, the both of you disappearing in a blue bubble and ending up in the infirmary.

He helped you up onto a table, making quick work to scrub his hands as speedily as possible at the sink before rushing back over to snap on his medical gloves. He gently removed your bloodied hand, giving a low huff as he examined the damage.

"O-one of the boilers had a leak- I didn't move in time- OUCH, mother fucker, can you not?!"

He glared down at you as you snapped at him, his thumb pressing a bit too roughly right on the border of your burned skin. You both stared each other down before you relented, giving a roll of your eyes before looking down at your dirtied work boots.

There was an excruciatingly heavy silence that hung around you both as he worked, his fingers practically flying over your skin as he disinfected and brushed a salve over the burn. You hissed and groaned, squeezing your eyes and hands into fists, fighting back another snark as you bit the inside of your cheek.

"You need to be more aware of your surroundings-"

Your head snapped back to him, and you gave him the darkest look you could, trying to convey that you already understood and felt stupid enough as it was. It took him a moment, but it clicked eventually, causing him to sigh with an air of annoyance as he reached for the gauze.

"... at least I'll have a cool scar?"

His eyes were wide as he turned back to you, unable to wrap his head around how quickly your attitude changed, an almost cheeky grin covering your features as your feet swung back and forth slightly.

"Woman, you are absolutely insane, did you know that?"

You gave a chuckle and shrugged, unable to keep the grin from your lips.

"Ah, but of course! It keeps the locals away."

Law couldn't stop the snort that bubbled up, rolling his own eyes as he began to wrap your upper arm and shoulder, his lips pressed into a firm line for a moment before he retorted,

"No wonder you fit right in. Apparently, I have a habit of adopting weirdos." His voice was almost mocking, though a joking tone made its way through easier than it had before. How he ended up here, able to make jokes with one of the most annoying yet cute people ever, perplexed and irritated him to no end.

Absolutely, incredibly annoying.

He had just finished cleaning you up, moving less than a space away as he snapped off his gloves, tossing them onto his tray when you suddenly grasped his one tattooed hand with your uninjured one, a gentle thumb brushing over his knuckles.

"You are the best doctor in the world," you gushed with a slightly smaller smile, giving his hand a gentle squeeze before letting it fall back to his side. Your cheeks burned as you finally looked up at his face, feeling your stomach flip-flop as his own cheeks flushed pink.

"Yes, I'm aware."

He internally smacked himself over the head, sighing with a huff as he ran the hand you didn't touch through his messy hair.

"... I, uh ... thank you."

You gave him a swift thumbs up and hopped off the table, quickly making your way to the doors as you threw over your shoulder,

"Anytime, boss. See you at dinner!"

Before he could respond, you flew out the doors the second you opened them, slight panic on your face as you booked it to your shared room with Ikkaku, ripping the door open and slamming it shut. Your back hit the door and you exhaled slowly, trying to calm your racing heart.

"Ugh, disgusting. Who said you could give me feelings, you rat bastard," you murmured to yourself.

The fourth time was that night, out on the deck once more as the sun slowly fell behind looming storm clouds. Law made his way to you and glanced over your wrapped shoulder, ignoring your sounds of protest as he gently poked and prodded.

"Oi, come on man, that sucks- ouch, Law!"

He stopped, his hands not moving from your skin though his eyes met yours, an unrecognizable look in his eyes. You rarely, if ever, called him his name. He decided then and there that he could listen to you say it over and over and never get sick of it.

"Y/N-ya, I apologize."

His voice was low, genuine in his apology as his eyes never left yours. His heart jumped when your eyes flickered to his lips, your own pressing into a thin line as you stared back up at him. It was only a few moments before you sighed softly through your nose, eyes closing as you leaned into him.

"I'm too tired to argue with you," You moaned out, the side of your face meeting his chest as he turned to hold you. He was stiff, an embarrassed look on his face as he thanked whatever gods were up there that everyone else had retired inside for the night.

As the sun finally disappeared, Law looked down at you, his gaze meeting the top of your head. After a moment, he gave a sigh of his own, his forehead meeting the top of your noggin as he finally began to relax. It felt so foreign, having a warm body in his arms and the feeling of warmth that filled his chest.

"We should go in," he murmured into your hair, unwilling to move or lift his face from your hair. His stomach flipped when you chuckled softly, pulling away enough to look up at him with an almost pleading expression.

"Can we just stay out here a little longer? Please?"

Your plea was so quiet, the sound almost not meeting his ears, and he couldn't fight back the small smile that washed over his lips as he relented.

"Alright brat, just a little longer."

Maybe... not that annoying.

A/N: WEEE WELL, there we have it !!! It took me about 3 hours to write and beta so if there's any mistakes, it's cos I was stoned and missed it! 😂✨️💖

I hope you all enjoyed, please like and relbog if you did, we love a soft Law in this house 😭😭😭😭

Love you all, be good my little tangerines! ❤️

[sharky857]

u still up for the ao3 wrapped asks? may i ask for the whole package (if nothings been asked yet)? 😈

Oh...

Oh lawd...

This might take a while.

How many words have you written this year? Who even counted? :°D

How many works did you publish this year? *checks AO3* Turns out it's 15.

What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)? The Good, The Bad and The Monkey (Captain Simian fic), mainly because it's the longest fic I've ever written, finished and uploaded.

What work of yours has the most hits? *checks AO3 again* Turns out it's Unwanted Visitor (Stardew Valley fic), currently with 1.15 hits

What work of yours got more feedback than you expected? Idk, probably all those that got even just a single comment.

Favorite title you used Probably "Fish Out Of Water" (Hazbin Hotel fic)

If you use song lyrics, which artist’s songs did you pull from the most? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Pairing you wrote the most for this year? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Favorite pairing you wrote for this year? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (literally, I can't think of anything in this sense ghdsklfsdjkl)

What work was the quickest to write? Almost all my uploaded works take anything between 1 day and 1 week.

What work took you the longest to write? Tentablocked (Warframe 1999 fic), ironically also one of the shortest stories to write. I just kept on "shame-blocking" myself at every turn. :°D

How many WIP’s do you have in your docs for next year? None. I can't keep anything in a WIP state for too long, lest my inspo decides to peace out as my hyperfixation diverts its attention elsewhere.

What’s your longest work of the year? See question #3

What’s your shortest work of the year? Gamer Bond (Warframe 1999 fic), 2.655 words spread into a single chapter.

What WIP are you taking into next year with you? Maybe that super-dramatic fic about Amir's near death experience during a mission (totally not an Amir/Quincy fic *COUGH*). It's nowhere in any doc file, but it's still rotating in my head from time to time.

What’s your most common “Additional Tags” tag? Probably "canon divergence" for the "Warframe 1999, more like Warframen't 1999 amirite fellas?" entire series

Your favorite character to write this year? Aoi "Chopper" Morohoshi (sorry, Amir!!)

The character that gave you the most trouble writing this year? Any Hazbin's canon one who wasn't Angel Dust, apparently :°D

What’s one pairing you want to explore next year? Quincy/Amir (sibling relationship)

Which work of yours have you reread the most? Usually that happens mosty with my latest uploaded stories, so I'd say "Heart to Heart" and "New Year Kiss", both Warframe 1999 fics.

How many kudos in total did you get this year? *checks AO3 yet again, this time with a small calculator* Apparently it's a whoopin' 152

Which work has the most comments? *checks AO4 for the maybe-4th time* "The Final Breakdown" (Warframe 1999), with 24 comments

Did you do any collaborative works this year? Nu :(

Did you write any gifts this year? Ye :) "Intruder Alert" (Warframe 1999) has been a giftie to @gaogaigar-the-king (which has also aged like fine milk, considering what we finally know about the '99 events. But hey, that one is part of the "canon divergence on purpose", soo...)

Did you receive any gifts this year? Nu, but that's okay ❤

What’s your most common category? "Gen(eric)" ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

What do you listen to while writing? Nothing, I need full focus and music may distract me.

Favorite work you wrote this year? Just so I'm not being repetitive, "Tough Luck" (Warframe 1999 fic)

Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

This one from "Operation: Get Along" (you'll never guess that it's another Warframe 1999 fic):

Amir gradually closed the distance with the other. He would’ve also been aggressively poking his chest, had he not needed the free hand to crawl in Quincy’s direction. “Aoi can fuck shite up, Arthur can fuck shite up, and you can fuck shite up. Each one of us can fuck shite up.” He went relentlessly on, now with his nose a mere couple inches from the one of the speechless marksman. “And you know why? Because, and here’s a shocker to your egomaniac macho self, nobody is perfect! Not even you!” “So, mark my words,” the fed up technician concluded his rant, “next time I’ll hear this is all your fault, Amir or something like that, I’ll leave you with three options: a simple fuck you, a warning zap, or a broken nose.” Quincy couldn’t hold back a snort at that very last statement. “Oh, please. You couldn’t even hurt a fl- OW!” Amir had just managed to deliver a quick blow at Quincy’s nose. Fortunately for the marksman, the space they were trapped in didn’t offer much room for a full swing and his nose was left intact, only mildly aching. “Wanna try that again, buddy?” The techie hissed lowly.

30. Biggest surprise while writing this year? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (sorry, nothing come to mind)

[meowzfordayz]

hiiiiii t!!!! actually *ahem* ho, ho, ho!!! it is ME, your secret santa here to drop off a little teeny winter gifty just for you. i hope this season has been nothing but lovely to you and im sending you a big warm hug and a blown kiss. happy holidays!

“Hey love?”

Giyuu’s words are soft as the pillow you rest your head upon, whispered just below your earlobe. His face has been buried in your neck for an amount of time you’ve long lost track of, breaths coming in hot puffs against your neck. While you’ve dozed off thanks to the comfort of being this close to him, he has remained awake, gazing out of the small window above your bed to the winter morning outside it.

“Everything okay?” You ask, voice thick with sleep and mouth dry. He nods and you feel the sensation of his answer rather than see it. Snuggling closer to his side, he wraps one arm around your waist and holds you to him.

“Yeah, of course.” The velvety depth of his voice vibrates against your earlobe once again and both of your eyes open, looking down to meet his eyes that are gazing directly at you. “I only wanted to tell you that it snowed.”

It’s difficult for you to shoot up from where you’re laying with his arm wrapped around you but you manage and it makes the usually stoic man chuckle, following suit and sitting up so he can gaze out of the window with a better view.

Powder white snow falls in fat flakes and you gasp with the same enthusiasm he loves you so much for having no matter the situation. Giyuu rubs your back with his large, warm palm and he half smiles glancing at you, dark hair falling over his eyes.

“It’s beautiful.”

Your words are simple but they make your loving boyfriend’s heart warm to hear. Nothing on this earth comes close to as beautiful as you are but a still, perfect, winter snowfall is impressive by his high standards.

“Want to go out and enjoy it up close?” His offer makes you grin and nod, eager to enjoy wintertime hand in hand with the one who makes you feel the warmest of all.

Hii dearest anon !! ❄️ Your lil “ho ho ho” made me giggle 😉; sending you a hug and kiss back. 🤗💝💝

THANK YOU FOR WRITING SUCH A LOVELY MOMENT OF LOVE. 🥰 I swear I could feel Giyuu’s words murmured softly into my skin; I’ve dozed off pretty much exactly as you described w/ my irl bf many times, so this drabble was extra sweet to me. 🥺

“you feel the sensation of his answer” —> 🫠😍

“he wraps one arm around your waist and holds you to him” —> I wiiish 🥲💙

“dark hair falling over his eyes” ugggh he’s SO dreamy 😮‍💨🤍

THE ENDING OMG STAAAHP. 🤯🧡 “the one who makes you feel the warmest of all” I WANT HIM, I WANT THIS, PLS AND TY PLEEEASE. 😭😭😭💘 Me and my cold toes are waiting for Giyuu to come cuddle us. 😭😭😭💘

I’m grateful for you and your beautiful writing; tyvm for making me feel cozy and loved. 🩷💕💞💓💗

[lumiereandcogsworth]

it's mother's day so I must know, what was Belle's first one like, and if you've thought about it, what was her first with each kiddo like? does she have a favorite or special mother's day memory? what kind of gifts do the kids (and Adam) give her? 🥹💖

AAHH !!!! 💕💞💓

her first mother’s day with renée (AND EVER!!!!!) was precious but probably mostly uneventful, since renée was only a month old and was pretty much just crying or sleeping at that point. (mostly crying.) i know adam got belle a bouquet of roses (and said they were from renée, of course) and probably other little gifties because that man cannot control himself when it comes to gifts. but overall i think they’d spend the day half in bed and half outside !!! i’m sure the little family has a lovely picnic ☀️💖 and i think maurice would maybe give her a portrait of her & renée 🤧 and it makes belle cry because it Does look similar to the portrait of her and her mama… very bittersweet thing. i’m Sure maurice cried at some point while making it😭 anyway!! belle loves her baby so so so much. i’ve talked about it before but belle, of course, never really thought she’d get the chance to be a mama. because she Knew she’d only marry for the greatest of love. so the fact that she!!! GETS TO BE A MAMA!!! she’s so happy :”) i’ll link this fic since that’s where i discuss that topic more 💖

her first mother’s day with juliette (well, technically she was pregnant with her on a mother’s day, and renée was 2, and i’m sure that was a very sweet time!! but) juliette’s First mother’s day, post-womb, she was like ten months old!!!!!!! and renée was newly 3 years old and very Active and Excited about everything. this time adam put the the bouquet of flowers in renée’s little arms and he lifted her up onto the bed in the early morning and renée said “HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY, MAMA!!!” and dropped the flowers all over belle’s lap, which made her laugh SO hard. she wrangled renée into her arms and kissed her a million times. baby juliette was there too, getting snuggles from her mama all day long 🥰 i think maurice would make a tradition of his gift, and he made a portrait of belle and her two (!!!) daughters.

her first mother’s day with little maurice !!! (again, she was pregnant with him during a mother’s day, but anyway) reecy was six months old. little guy :”3 renée was 7 but juliette was still 4. it was LOVELY!!!!! spending lovely time outside. i can picture belle sitting under the shade of a tree, rocking her little baby son, while her daughters (especially renée) are bouncing around her, telling her stories, including her in imaginary tea parties and warriors’ battles in equal measure. adam is there too, playing and just loving his family endlessly. and of COURSE ! grandpa maurice presents belle with another painting, this time of her and her three little beauties 🤧 it’s just always such a lovely daaaaayyy

in terms of gifts from adam, it’s mostly flowers and jewelry. he knows most of all that belle just wants to spend the day with her babies, so he lets her take the lead on this day and just spends time with his darlings. they do whatever belle wants to do, which is usually just outdoor activities like walks or horseback riding.

a mother’s day memory that belle loves is when renée was four. she’d been Really wanting to ride the horses, like even before she could speak she’s always been so fascinated by them!!! but up until this point, adam had been hesitant about it. belle was too at first, but around when she was three, belle started pleading with adam too to let her try lmao. so he said when she was four, Fine. renée turned four in april, but they were in paris at the time, so they did other fun stuff less horse-related. they came back home just before mother’s day, and so, on the day, renée rode a horse with her mama for the first time🥹 and adam was (Of Course) very nervous about it. he was standing there holding juliette on his hip just being like “and make sure you hold onto her, darling. and renée, RENÉE, hold onto the saddle horn. okay? don’t let go of it, macaron. are you hearing me?” and belle’s of course like just super excited, AND RENÉE IS BESIDE HERSELF!!!!!! (adam has to Keep telling her to put her hands back on the saddle horn, because she keeps flapping her hands all over the place). but eventually they go, slow at first, and renée’s just giggling so excited. and eventually philippe is trotting, then cantering, maybe even galloping !!! and it’s SO FUN !!!!! belle and renée are both laughing so much, adam can’t help but beam happily 🥹🥹🥹

gosh!!!!!!!! i think in general, the kids love to make her gifts. i think one year, renée tried to write a book for her. (when she was like. 8.) and adam’s like “wow that’s pretty ambitious!” and renée was like *elle woods voice * “what, like it’s hard?” afjskd. she ends up writing and illustrating a Very short story but her grandfather helps her bind the pages together and belle LOVES the gift so so so much. renée sits on her lap and reads the story to her and Gosh it’s so cute. but yeah anyway CRAFTS !! all three of them love making her drawings, on literally any given day, but they’ll go all out for mother’s day. they just love like, telling stories. because STORIES ARE THIS FAMILY’S LOVE LANGUAGE !!! they write little plays with their friends and act them out for her. they make storyboard/comic strips and show them to her. it’s just so !!! lovely.

i think juliette isn’t AS arts & crafts-y as her sister and brother, but she’s always there to go along with their ideas. i think later on in years, when juliette is a teenager, she writes little songs for her mama. like, not lyrics, but on the violin!! tunes that have essence of belle. and she then plays them for her mother and it always makes belle tear up 🥺 so juliette does end up being creative and artsy, just with her music !!

[footprintsinthesxnd]

Hey darlin'! I'm your assigned HBO War-Related Summer Gift Exchange Writer/Gifter. 👀

Consider this your first message- but I want DEETS.

What is your favourite season and why?

If you could choose between the forest or the sea, which would you choose and why?

I've already got ideas churning, so the sooner you type back, the sooner I'll be getting on your giftie!

Hello, sorry it’s taken me a little while to reply, work has been super busy today.

So for my favourite season I would have to say summer. I love the long summers days, the sun shining (not too much rain 😂 it literally rains all year in England) I love that you can go outside so much more too.

The next one is a tough one because I love walking my dogs in a forest. It’s so peaceful and quiet. But I also really love the sea and being near the coast so I’d have to pick the sea. There’s just something so soothing about being near the water.

Thank you so much for your asks, I can’t wait to see what you come up with 🩵

[gowns]

...This is the problem with any climate policy, big or small: It requires an imaginative leap. While the math of decarbonization and electric mobilization is clear, the future lifestyle it implies isn’t always. Right-wing commenters sometimes seize upon this fact to caricature any climate policy as a forced retreat from modernity — Americans forced to live in ecopods — while on the left any accounting seems to cloud the urgency of the moment. A majority of emissions come from just 100 or so corporations, activists argue, a concentration of industrial production that, once decarbonized, could slash the footprint beneath every wall sconce and sandwich. Even if it were true, these arguments conveniently ignore one uncomfortable fact: Walmart, Exxon Mobil and Berkshire Hathaway didn’t burn that fuel on their own — we paid them to, or burned it ourselves, because the way we live depends on it. By any standard, American lives have become excessive and indulgent, full of large homes, long trips, aisles of choices and app-delivered convenience. If the possibilities of the future are already narrowing to the one being painted by science with increasing lucidity, it strains even the most vivid imagination to picture it widening again without a change in behavior.

This isn’t an American crisis alone. All around the world, nations have locked themselves into unsustainable, energy-intensive lifestyles... [...]

The problem of reducing our footprints further isn’t that we don’t have models of sustainable living; it’s that few exist without poverty. Imagine another typical household, this time somewhere in the rural tropics, like the Mara region in northwestern Tanzania. You live with five or six others, your husband, parents, grandmother and perhaps two kids, in a 700-square-foot house without electricity, maybe one you built by hand from sun-dried bricks. You cook with firewood and pay for 3G with the few dollars a day you make. All around you, people are clearing forests for corn and rice, damaging ecosystems that otherwise pull carbon from the air. To give your kids a better life, you move to the city, and as you make more money, you rent a bigger house, take more buses, buy an air-conditioner. All these improvements add to your quality of life, ticking you upward on the Human Development Index, but also expand your carbon footprint — the two being so closely tied they could be proxies. No matter your vocation or luck, the only real way for you to make your life better is to burn more fossil fuels. So you do — collectively elevating your country out of those with a footprint close to zero (Afghanistan, the Central African Republic) and into those around two tons: India, the Philippines.

This is the paradox at the heart of climate change: We’ve burned far too many fossil fuels to go on living as we have, but we’ve also never learned to live well without them. As the Yale economist Robert Mendelsohn puts it, the problem of the future is how to create a 19th-century carbon footprint without backsliding into a 19th-century standard of living. No model exists for creating such a world, which is partly why paralysis has set in at so many levels. The greatest crisis in human history may require imagining ways of living — not just of energy production but of daily habit — that we have never seen before. How do we begin to imagine such a household?

Late last year, I traveled to Uruguay in hope of glimpsing one possibility....

read more! [gifty link so you can read it without paywall]

[kamino-blues]

Gifts from the Bad Batch

Here are some of my ideas of what the Bad Batch would get you after dating you for a while! <3

Tech

Tech would make you both matching bracelets

These weren't normal bracelets though

There was a sensor in the charm of the bracelet, that connected the two of them

So when you touched the top portion of the bracelet, he would feel that touch on his own. And if you touched it, he would feel your touch

So if you were separated from him, you could just touch the bracelet so he would know that you were thinking about him

If you were ever worried about him, you could touch that bracelet, and even if he is in the middle of a gunfight he would press it right away

If you couldn’t go on a mission with him and his brothers, expect your wrist to be constantly tapped

It was incredibly endearing, and a good way to stay in contact when you couldn’t call him

He decided to teach you morse code so you guys could send messages through the bracelet

You have a special tap to tell each other that you love each other

Either way there is constant taping on both of your ends

Hunter

He would gift you one of his spare headbands, as they were always something you would play around with when he was wearing one

He was getting sick of you untying it from his hair and placing it in your own

If you have longer hair, when he gifted it he would turn you around and tie your hair into a ponytail with it

If your hair is shorter, he would tie it around your wrist

If you were going out you would wear it on your wrist, being able to fidget with it and hold onto it made you think of him

Sometimes you would put it into your hair like he does, and just follow him around

He would end up ruffling your hair and then pulling it out to put on top of his currently worn headband, giving you a taste of your own medicine

Wrecker

He would totally get you a plushie

Not any plushie, he would get a tooka doll that had markings that look like his armor

He got this idea of getting you this because you would always hold onto Lula when you were waiting for him to get back from long missions

He would often come back to see you asleep in your bunk, holding tightly onto his plushie

This plushie will not leave your side when you are in the barracks

Like, sometimes Wrecker will get jealous over how glued to your side this plushie is

Its the perfect gift that makes you think of him when he is away

Crosshair

Crosshair is not the most gifty of the group, he usually doesn’t do this sort of thing

But as you two started to get more serious, he decided that he wanted to get you something

So that you can have something to remember him when you two are separated

What he came up with was a necklace with his crosshair symbol on a metal charm

He made it himself, carving on the metal when he was waiting for a mission to start

Honestly its such a nice gesture, you weren’t expecting it at all when he gave it to you

Ended up with you pulling him into a huge hug, him tensing for a second before hugging back

You never take it off, you wear it while you sleep

You run your hands over it and fidget with it to try and calm yourself when you are stressed

If he's ever on a mission that you can't go on, you end up holding onto his charm for the majority of time he isn't there

Echo

You had heard stories from Echo about the 501st and his past

You had only known him when he was part of the Bad Batch, so hearing his stories when he was working back with a Jedi had always intrigued you

You just hadn’t known that he still had remnants from his past

One day Echo told you to close your eyes and hold out your hands

You felt something placed in your hands, feeling like the plastoid armor he usually wears

He tells you to open, and you see a piece of white plastoid, with what looks to be a portion of a blue finger on the bottom right of it

He explains that this was part of the armor that he used to wear when he was with the 501st, and that he wanted you to have it

You quickly hug him, a wave of emotions coming over you at the fact that he would gift you something as important as this

With Echoes permission, you were able to string it to be a necklace, and you make sure the charm lays over your heart

[igglemouse]

Episode 4 ~ The Gift

I didn’t have many places to hold a conversation at in my house. There was the living room and my couch or the small area carved into the kitchen that counted as a dining room. That’s where we decided to chat.

It took a while to get her to get to the reason she was over here. First she wanted to indulge in small talk about gardening and vegetables and farm animals, things that did interest me but right now my whole little farm was an aside to what was currently going on in my life. So it was time to get to why she had come over.

Julius: You said it was urgent. Is this about a festival or-

Athena: No, no, it’s...

She paused for some time, unsure of how to continue but forcing herself to do just that. 

Athena: What if I knew a way that you could be normal?

Julius: Normal?

Athena: Not a vampire, I mean.

Julius: Wait, what?

She knew? How did she know? I guess me hiding out indoors during the day time is a hint but I don’t think it could lead to a rational person thinking I was a vampire. I was going to deny, that’s the general rule when someone suspects, deny and make them feel like they are the crazy one. To gaslight them and move on. 

Athena: I told you that I was part fairy-

Julius: I thought that was a joke.

Athena: It is, in a way, but the truth can be a joke sometimes too.

Julius: Ok, ok, part fairy...

What does that even mean? I admit, I know little next to nothing about fairies. I know they exist and can sometimes be very powerful but outside of that?

Julius: What are you proposing, exactly?

Athena: You seem like an alright guy that’s stuck inside the destructive nature of your species. You must destroy to live, after all. But there is a way out. I could help you. You could be normal for once.

I found myself shaking my head. What is normal for me is this. I was born a vampire and to imagine being mortal and human? No way. It seemed far from my normal at least and a betrayal of who I am. 

Julius: No thanks Athena. If that’s your plan-

Athena grinned: Just think about it. I’ll be around if you ever change your mind.

Index - Next

[justafairytailofinnocence]

Hi!! Can i please have a HP, LOTR and Marvel matchup?? (and forgive me if I make a mistake in the writing, I'm not fluent in english yet♡)

I'm pansexual and genderfluid, that uses all the pronouns.

I'm a brazilian, my house is Slytherin (but I have LOTS of Ravenclaw qualities), my sign is Leo and MBTI is INTJ. I have tan skin, dimples, brown eyes, straight black hair that goes below my waist and bangs.

About my body, I think what stands out the most are the really thick thighs and the hands and feet that are really small. I wear glasses (I have astigmatism and myopia, my grade is VERY high); where I live is SO hot but i really like to wear sweats and pants so sometimes it's kind of hard but i think I wear any kind of clothes? I like to experiment with new styles and I really want to dye my hair but I didn't have the opportunity; I'm absolutely addicted to wearing necklaces, bracelets and especially rings, I'm always wearing several.

I have a quiet, observant, sarcastic and motherly personality, although from a distance it seems that I will be rude to you, I will actually be very calm and give you soft smiles. I can get stressed out easily but I don't show anything but glare, and above all I NEVER raise my voice, even in a fight the only thing I'm going to do is keep my voice calm with a firm, authoritative tone. I LOVE protecting and caring for people and listening to them talk about what they like, I always give them my FULLY attention. My love language is 100% touch, I am always touching the people I like and care about. Another thing is that I'm not a submissive person in a relationship, like no.

I'm completely in love with all kinds of art, especially dancing (I'm ALWAYS dancing while listening to music, which is pretty much all day long) and drawing/painting (sometimes I end up doing a whole drawing and not even realize it). I love reading and I always have a book with me, physical or digital. I love animals, I have cats, dogs, parrots, turtles and cockatiels, and I would give my life for them all without a second thought. Oh, I also love anything horror related with passion and bake, most of the time I don't even eat, I just bake and give it to people because I love it when they say they like what I made.

(I hope it's enough, thank you!!♡♡♡♡)

Hello dear 💖 we have three matchups today and the first one is:

Harry Potter I ship you with:

Draco Malfoy🍏

- he is entranced by your beauty aside from looking elegant and your unique style had caught his eye.

- he would buy you gifts such as jewelry and your favourite food. He's trying to impress you often he's a very gifty person so he has a lot of money.

- you would need to keep out for pansy she's jealous and was in love with Draco she finds you a compition.

- you love animals good, fun fact he has a albino peacock garden. Yeah and two pureblooded Irish wolf hounds.

- he would invite you over to his manor for tea and yes his father is intimating infact really intimidating. You ignore it though due to the fact you love your boyfriend.

- you two wed in the manor you wearing a green ballgown wedding dress. your child would be a Slytherin with your black hair and Draco's grey eyes.

For lotr I ship you with:

Thranduil👑

- he is a king that you brought his attention to with your beauty. You have the personality he desires as a queen.

- despite being a cold elf he couldn't help but melt with your personality and touch. He loved to hold you in private and gift you animals.

- he would teach you how to fight even though if your not good at it. He would make sure you would be the best.

- legalos is fond of you being his new queen however at first glance thranduil didn't think too much of you, But due to your stubbornness he grew to adore you.

- you became a dancer for the elfs and you hypnotised thranduil with your moves.

- your art was enduring as well having the potential to portray illustrations of elf culture.

- your wedding was in the castle and you were crowned queen. Your child is a elf hyrbid with long blonde hair and your tanned skin with your brown eyes.

For marvel I ship you with:

Loki 🐍

- you were on a mission with the avengers when you were suddenly kidnapped. Loki was interested in your life style until he deemed you worthy as a queen.

- you were converted sides to his throne. When you thought being evil wasnt your style you manage to convince Loki to come to the good side.

- he wouldn't listen to anyone but you. You put the best things into him.

- expect a couple of tricks such him disguising himself as your crushes. He would enter to passionately kiss you and reveal himself afterwards.

- the wedding would be in his dimension after you accepted aside from his tricks he genuinely loves you. Your child would be a demi good with long black hair and your brown eyes. They would have Loki's abilities.

Anyways that's all I have for now:

Ta Ta 💫

[walkingshcdow-a]

@ashortdropandasuddenstop | Hellhound!Norrington

Stolas sat in the meeting room, fingers tented smugly as he watched yet another politician sell away his soul for forbidden knowledge and a pathetically limited amount of power. These men, these humans, were so cute when they thought that, somehow, they were getting the better end of the deal when they summoned one of the Ars Goetia. This was a particularly important soul, too, so Stolas supposed Lucifer would either thank him for the pretty, little giftie or remind him of the overpopulation of the Pride ring. 

To be fair, Stolas had traded for other things in the past, but as he extended a delicate hand to the bloated, pale blubber of a man and smiled icily, he knew there were some things he valued far too much to offer so easily as a hand. 

“A pleasure doing business with you,” Stolas purred, finally cementing the Deal. There was no flash of light, no crackle of lightning - just a handshake, a document, and flashed, forced smiles on both ends.

The human politician spoke without letting go of Stolas’ hand, as if it comforted him to have something - or someone - to hold onto.

“Now that, uh, business is concluded,” he said, “would you mind calling off your guard dog?”

Stolas flicked his gaze over his shoulder at James. The human politician had no way of knowing just how right he was. Woof. Stolas smiled at his well-armed, well-built guard. How comforting to have such muscular and keen security these days! You would think such things were easy and cheap in Hell, but Stolas knew well enough that you always got what you paid for in the end. 

He’d paid quite handsomely for this hellhound and his services. He smiled at James Norrington slyly. He allowed himself to chuckle. Guard dog. 

“James-y, do be a dear and smile for the nice man,” Stolas said. “Apparently enough of your beautiful teeth aren’t bared for his tastes...”

Stolas broke the handshake and rose from the table, leaving the human looking alarmed and sick, the way they often did when they’d sold their souls to a demon prince. Stolas smiled at James and opened a portal to hell in the wall with the careful, dexterous motion he’d long ago learned to cross from realm to realm, place to place. He gracefully stuck one foot back in his home world, turning it to talon in just a moment. Stolas wiggled his toes and smiled his sharp smile back at the poor, pathetic human.

“I’ll be in touch and someone will come by to collect our due. Ta-ta and enjoy your power while it lasts!”

He stepped through, reverting to his demonic shape - feathers and claws and glowing red eyes - but did not close the portal until James followed him through. As soon as the portal sealed, Stolas set about preening his feathers. 

“Eugh,” he said, fussing with the feathers peeking out over the cut of his shirt, “the mortal realm is such a disgusting place. So humid, so... moist. It’s murder on the feathers. I can’t go home looking like this...”

He flicked his gaze - all four, red, glowing eyes - at James, who cut a dashing figure as a hellhound - lean and strong, well groomed. It seemed the humidity had done a number on his fur too. Stolas pouted.

“Aww, and it’s ruffled your nicely groomed fur, too, James-y.... I know! Why don’t we go get cleaned up before you take me home? I’m sure I can summon whatever we’ll require and I know a charming little place that doesn’t ask too many questions...”

After all, there was much to question when a Goetia and a hellhound checked into a hotel together and left only a few hours later. Stolas tried not to think of the implications.... but he didn’t try very hard to quell his excitement at the thought. What was the point of being royalty if you didn’t ruffle a few feathers every now and then, hmm?

[alexsfictionaddiction]

Alex Recommends: April Books

I have been so incredibly busy this month and I'm only just getting a chance to sit down to write this. I have been getting a lot of work recently and a lot of it is taking up a lot of time and mental energy. However, I have also been in a great reading mood, so I've read a lot too!

The Women's Prize shortlist was announced last week and I've been slowly making my way through the longlist. This has been such great fun and I'm delighted that I still actually have three of the shortlist to read. Two of my recommendations this month come from the longlist and one of them made the shortlist, so I can certainly say that it's a fantastic selection this year. Check it out here if you haven't been following the announcements. 

I don't know whether it's because I've been working so much or because I've had a few disappointments this month but my mental health hasn't been great. I've had a few nights recently where I've just cried and been overwhelmed with hopelessness when I think about the future. Mark has been amazing at keeping me grounded through it all and it's certainly not my personal or romantic life that I'm worried about. 

Recently, I've been harboring some serious desires to get back into publishing but it's even harder than it has ever been now. It often feels like the hard work that I've been putting in for years just doesn't really count for much anymore and there are few things that are more disappointing than that realisation. I guess it's that age-old adage that when one area of ​​your life is finally sorted, another area will start to fall apart or be severely lacking. 

Anyway, that was a rather lengthy, not particularly uplifting intro, so I think it's about time I gave you some reading recommendations! Hope you're all keeping well. -Love, Alex x

FICTION: Because Of You by Dawn French.

As the new millennium rings in, two families are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their babies in a London hospital. One mother goes home with a healthy baby girl while the other suffers the ultimate tragedy. 17 years later, Minnie is about to become a mother, which forces a terrible secret from years ago to surface with devastating results. This heartbreaking novel explores motherhood and the idea of ​​what family really is. As it's written by the wonderfully funny Dawn French, there is some comedy in there too but it's mostly a book about love in its many guises and the power of forgiveness. Don't go into it expecting a laugh a minute just because of who the author is. You'll be sobbing your heart out!

LITERARY FICTION: Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi.

Gifty is a neuroscience student at Stanford University, studying reward-seeking behaviour in mice. Her brother Nana died of a heroin overdose years before and now her suicidal mother has moved in with her and struggles to get out of bed. Gifty is desperate to make sense of the relentless suffering that has haunted her young life and while her research is helping, it's the faith of her childhood and her Ghanaian culture that she finds herself leaning towards. This beautifully written book is a heart-wrenching story of family, identity and a desperate search for answers to life's big questions. With themes of everlasting love and agonising grief, this stunning novel is incredibly powerful and thought-provoking.

MIDDLE-GRADE: The Unbelievable Biscuit Factory by James Harris.

In Haddie's hometown of Normalton, there is a biscuit factory that definitely isn't a front for a top secret science lab. The orange fluffy monsters that have started appearing out of thin air certainly aren't there and there is definitely nothing weird going on in Normalton. Haddie and her friends absolutely do not have to save the world armed with nothing but an electric guitar. This hilarious madcap adventure is nothing short of completely bizarre. As well as a celebration of imperfection and friendship, The Unbelievable Biscuit Factory is a horrifically accurate depiction of how humans choose to ignore the rapidly imploding reality around us. Completely ridiculous but fantastic fun!

FANTASY: Malice by Heather Walter.

Alyce is half Vila, which means that she is a much-feared, very powerful being in the kingdom of Briar. To keep her under control, she is dubbed the Dark Grace and allowed to use her blood magic to create elixirs for those who wish to do dark deeds. When the cursed Princess Aurora seems to take an interest in Alyce, suspicions arise. But Alyce may be about to unravel the secrets of her past and her truth will come to light. This clever amalgamation of fairytales has elements of Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast and Sleeping Beauty. The romance between Alyce and Aurora is very slow burning with a very satisfying culmination. There is a dark, sultry essence to the whole book which ultimately champions outcasts and threatens revenge on their oppressors. I haven't been in the mood to read fantasy for a while but I devoured this one!

THRILLER: Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone.

During their isolated, traumatic childhood in an ominous Gothic Edinburgh house, twins El and Cat created a dark imaginary world called Mirrorland where they'd have adventures with pirates, witches and clowns. As adults, the twins have drifted apart. Cat is living as a struggling writer in LA while El married Ross, the boy who lived next door to their childhood home, where El and Ross still live. But now El has gone missing and Cat is called back to Scotland to confront the past and follow the clues as to where El could have gone. Mirrorland is definitely one of the darkest, most twisted thrillers I've read in a long time. I really wasn't sure what was real and what wasn't, which added to the mindfuckery of it. It's an intense exploration of the uniqueness of twinship where the twists just keep coming. Ice-cold and very clever, I have a feeling that this book will have a good year!

[no6secretsanta]

Day off.

Hey, it’s me, Apricot! I was so happy when I received the e-mail that you were my giftie @marykedoesart . I hope you like it!! <3

(from ApricotMori_ (twitter))

- Oh, boys! It’s such a shame you have to go, but don’t forget to come back soon, alright, Shion? And Nezumi…

- Yes, madam? 

- I know how happy you make my son and that brings me joy all the time, but that doesn’t mean you can’t hurt me… Stop buying those muffins near your home and come visit me. I’ll give you fresher ones for free, alright? 

Karan’s voice was sweet and caring, filled with that tender mother-like tone she has always had. Yet there was a little drop of anger noise between those words. She was smiling widely, her eyes were hidden by the curvature on her lips, and she was caressing Nezumi’s cheek. However… Shion was aware of how those words pierced Nezumi’s cool mask and shattered it.

That’s how her mother was like, a kindhearted woman, but also a strong one who would not accept anything but the best for those she appreciated dearly. And, yes, her muffins were the best around the city, and, yes, she appreciated Nezumi a lot. Shion would sometimes joke about how she just quitted on being his mother, because she put Nezumi under her wing. How could she take for granted that he tasted somebody else’s muffins?

“Elyurias was scary, but your mother has some guts”, Nezumi once admitted to Shion, so Shion couldn’t help but laugh at the image exposed right in front of his eyes.

Nezumi’s façade was somber and he was frightened because he couldn’t just play a stage to run away; Karan knew him better. She would immediately perceive it. 

- Mom, it’s been my fault. He never eats them, it’s me who asks him to go and buy some when I have to work until midnight… Stop scaring him.

- Oh! So Nezumi, are my muffins still your favorite ones?

- Of course, my dearest lady. They always have been and they always will be.

Nezumi bent down with his right palm against his chest, as elegant as someone from the realms.

He never lied; it was nothing else, but the truth. He wasn’t picky with food, but when it came to muffins that weren’t Karan’s, he would find all the excuses: too dry or not sweet enough, or whatever else. Those were the only exception.

They shared their farewells. The two boys started walking downhill with paper bags full of bread and Nezumi’s favorite desserts. The food was fresh, the smell was soothing, and it was still warm, so the bags felt nice against their torsos. It contrasted perfectly with the night that was starting to fall over them. As it grew darker, people would come back to their homes to get dinner, so the streets were kind of lonely except for the two figures that were walking and talking something unimportant, but still could steal some laughter; once or twice.

- If Your Majesty wants to, there’s no way this faithful servant could stop him… But, for real, Shion, the last time that didn’t turn out well. 

- I’m not sixteen anymore… Besides, if I start rubbing my nose with yours again, you can now just kiss me.

- Hmph.

Nezumi smirked. “Who has given so much confidence to this hopeless idiot?” he thought while grabbing Shion’s paper bags.

A bell announced Shion’s arrival to the liquor store, an item a little too classic for that kind of business, but it was good that some places still had those old rarities.

The city that once existed inside big walls was no longer there. It turned out way better than Nezumi could have expected. It grew at a record rate and now tall buildings full of better and eco-friendly technology stood there. Poverty was a word that couldn’t be used; everyone could afford to cover all their necessities without any class distinctions. People were able to choose their path and chase after their dreams out of government influence. 

After so many years, people that were from West Block and people that were from No. 6 had come to understand each other’s destinies. None of the citizens arbitrarily decided nor pulled the trigger of the lives each had to endure. It was all government faults and it had been clarified, cleaned, and restructured.

Forgiveness came; hatred and revenge was something from the past. When Nezumi first stepped into No. 6, he inhaled deeply; the fragrance of freedom, the sense of safety, and the vibes of certainty. It invaded him like air inside his lungs.

After more than 12 years later from that step, he still felt the same way. It was good. No, it was beyond good. Not the city conditions precisely, but to trust and rely on someone and received foremost from that someone. What a lesson life had given him. No. Nezumi didn’t believe in destiny or faith, the lesson was given by no one else, but Shion. 

He still could only trust and rely only on Shion, and even if there was only one person to trust, Nezumi could also come with some more forgiveness about his past choices.

- Nezumi, mmh, why are you smiling so peacefully? 

Shion came out with bottles of what seemed to be grape juice, but it was wine; the cheapest kind. He couldn’t be entrusted to do that task because he would go in and buy the one already known. Shion only had alcohol at West Block, that particular day, next to Nezumi. None of them had money to waste, so they accepted Rikiga’s gift: the cheapest wine and also the only one that could be found on those God forgotten streets. 

Shion had opportunities to learn the names of other types and brands of alcohol at some fancy reunions he was invited to, but he didn’t try them. Not once. He wanted to preserve the flavor from the one that tasted like treasured memories.

- You’re starting to lose your sight sense. You are not getting any younger, Shion. You should go to the doctor to do a checkup.

- Hahaha. We are the same age, Nez-

- Whatever. Give me that bag, your doll prince hands will tear.

- I no longer have those hands. Don’t be silly, Nezumi. Better use your free hand to hold mine.

- Mngh… Gotcha, prince.

Shion found that abrupt answer: weird. It did not matter how pierced Nezumi’s tongue was, he would always let Shion speaks before giving a comeback. However, even if it was weird Nezumi was smiling so relaxed and he seemed to be lost in his thoughts. It had to mean he was letting himself be comfortable around the idea surrounding his mind. It was a good sign.

Nezumi still has a hard time putting his guard down, but he’s been able to do it lately, and that was what mattered… But still was an opportunity for Shion to tease him a little bit.

- Maybe you were thinking of me. 

- You think too highly of yourself.

- I’ve learned from the best.

- You’re a fast learner with theory, but not an accurate one with practice.

- Remember your words, Nezumi.

- I always do.

They arrived home.

A small mouse, black and fast, had given his welcome and earned a piece of bread… There was no way that tiny friend would let Shion or Nezumi step inside if they didn’t greet him with some treat first. Maybe that little mouse stayed next to Shion just to have a life free pass to try what Cravat always did when delivering the letters back on the days they lived at the bunker.

- You spoiled him. Such an obedient mouse turned into a brat at the hands of another brat. What a tragedy!

 Nezumi said and put everything in their kitchen while Shion took a bath. Later they just changed roles. 

“They were still in the happier stage of love. They were full of brave illusions, so that the communion of self with self seemed to be on a plane where no other human relations mattered”

“I don’t ask you to love me always like this, but I ask you to remember. Somewhere inside of me there will always be the person I am tonight”.

- Tender is the night, F. Scott Fitzgerald

- Remind me again why are we reading this book? When we finish it, you will be crying like a little girl.

- I don’t care. I pretty much just like listening to you.

- What am I going to do with that cheesy mouth of yours?

- I have some ideas, but we can discuss them later when we go to bed.

- Mmnh, mmnh.

- … And I wanted you to listen to that quote.

- You still are an airhead, jeez. Shion, we’re not 16 anymore. Shion, you’ve changed. And so did I. We became more mature; more adult-like. But your naive essence remains the same… Pretty much. Quite impressive if you ask me.

- Hey! That was meant to be cute all the way.

Nezumi was absolutely teasing him, having his small revenge for a couple of hours ago. He was more than charmed by Shion’s idea to spend the night. And… the cheesy mouth had been cute all the way. Yes. Nezumi still has a hard time taking sweet actions, but he, at least, could acknowledge them. Specially when they came from his unique airhead: Shion.

With a smile on his face and his body stuffed with good humor, he filled two cups with the crimson liquor and gave one to Shion.

- Yeah, yeah. Look if you try to bite me just once, this wine will end up as your personal hair dye.

- This hair you love so much? 

- You’re right. Your pastel yellow pajama pants will be, then. Why do you have such a bad sense of fashion anyway?

- I don’t know, probably because I have no eyes for anything that is not you.

- For real, Shion? Are you trying to flirt with me that way? Tsk, tsk, it’s worse than Shakespeare.

- It still is the truth. 

- Hopeless.

- …ly in love.

- Oh, shut up! You’re scaring Tsukiyo.

Contrary to his words, the mouse was having a good time with a few more pieces of bread. Tsukiyo cheep cheep-ed and it sent the two boys into a burst of hysterical laughter.

They hadn’t even tasted the wine, and they were already having a good time. 

They wanted to remember something tasted and shared more than 12 years ago. Something that, at the time, brought them eases and some sort of comfort from everything that had been going on, and they succeeded. They succeeded at being two dorky teenagers when they deserved it. They teased each other, they fell on the floor and they laughed when life wasn’t being any good. By that time, alcohol was a small escape, more like an excuse because it was not the way to; kind of an accessory. By this time, as accessories just decor, wine was again unnecessary. It also turned out it wasn’t to their liking. The two cups just cooled down at the table when Nezumi thought of something that also made the two of them happy back on those days.

A dance.

With the widest smile, Nezumi took Shion and pulled him closer. Just like that day, Nezumi had a crave to feel Shion’s warmth against his. 

- Let’s see how much your Majesty has improved.

- …

Shion wanted to say he never danced again after that day, but once again, as it always happens, he got lost in the pair of grey eyes that looked deeply into him.

After so much time spent together, Shion could, at least, recognize his silly grin and react differently than just standing there thunderstruck and unable to move.

Their feet waltzed around. Nezumi’s movement was elegant and even more precise than when they were 16 years old, and something melted inside Shion’s heart.  “On his travels… he danced. There were times he was so carefree he would just… dance”.

Shion giggled and let the sudden twirls of his heart guided his steps. They had no music. The only rythm heard was their foot stepping here and there, Nezumi’s one, two, three, and Shion’s silly laughter.

- What is it, my stubborn child? Tell me so I can laugh with you. - It’s nothing, Nezumi. You’ve become better at this and I haven’t. That’s it. - I wouldn’t say that. I’m quite impressed by his Majesty’s performance. And Nezumi did start laughing at the unison with Shion. It was so easy to be together, so easy to enjoy their presences, to be gentle and kind to each other.

Nezumi’s heart was also melting while dancing. For similar, yet, somehow, different reasons. He was feeling some sort of happiness. There was still a long way for him to go through, but after so many years of hatred and guilt, he had slowly learned to move on from the darkness and let the light come into his life.

It was such a ridiculous way to explain it, but Nezumi couldn’t help it. Some things are just the way they are… and it was the most accurate way to express the process he accidentally went through on his travel.

He left for the sake of running away from a tumult of overwhelming feelings and as an unexpected consequence: he freed himself from chains that were holding him, blinding him and pining him down as some kind of martyr.

He wasn’t a martyr anymore. He deserved to make his own life choices and enjoy new experiences… He called it hope and hope brought him freedom.

Freedom brought him back to Shion.

Shion had also changed. At first glance, Shion would look like he had been sharpened by a knife, but then he would smile and make the whole world stop for a while. He turned calculative, strong, determined and even ambitious, but he was still the warm human being Nezumi met at 12 years old, he was still the warm human being who came back from hell.

Shion never lost his humanity. He found a meaning to this world while restructuring the city. A meaning he told Nezumi would rather keep to himself.

It was fine that way for Nezumi. But sometimes he would just wonder… or maybe he was just projecting his discoveries onto Shion: Shion also found freedom.

Maybe he wanted to experience all the shapes and shades of humanity that were attached to this lifetime. 

- Would you life to travel this time with me?

- I’d love to.

Maybe such an intense, expansive, and complex experience was a good starting point to approach all the variating tones of life. Nezumi once had a taste.

-… and I love you.

- Shion you keep on being so cheesy.

-…

- But I love you too.

And as Fitzgerald would agree, even if the way they loved each other had changed, changed or would change, they’ll remember that somewhere inside of them they would always be the same as they were when they met… when they saved each other’s life and when they drifted apart, and, of course, when reunion came.

[mystery-salad]

📎🧸🎁 from the prompts list for whoever you’d like! -kerra-and-company

Ooooh let’s do Joel!!! Chaotic little creature that it is~

OC questions

📎 - How organised is your OC? Do they keep on top of responsibilities, or leave things to the last minute?

Joel is probably my least organized commander by a landslide, its very “lets jump in and see where we land!” It’s always sort of rushed into things without properly considering the drawbacks and very stubbornly forces things to work out anyways. Is it a good way to handle huge world threats? No! Has it backfired? A couple times! Will Joel learn anything from that? Not until Icebrood Saga really throws it the worst curveball 🙃

🧸 - On a scale of 1 - 10, how ‘soft’ is your OC? 1 being the edgiest of edges and 10 being a literal teddy bear that cries at everything? (Bonus questions, where on the scale would your OC place themselves, and where would they like to be on the scale?)

Joel wants to be a 1 but is more of a 3. Edgy as hell but it still cares...so much. This is the first family it really belonged in and a lot of actions are driven by the determination to cling to this life by any means necessary, both literally and figuratively. It’s rushed into a lot of shit in the name of protecting its family. Rough edges come from life being bounced around foster care until you run off on your own, but a found family can soften those in some ways.

🎁 - What kind of gift-giver are they? Do they give thoughtful gifts? Expensive gifts? Practical gifts?

Practical, if at all. Joel honestly isn’t a gifty person, giving or receiving. It prefers just showing affection or care through actions and words and while it knows other people like gifts, that slips its mind often since it just really doesn’t think about that option. Giving Joel a gift catches it majorly off guard in turn. If it gives you anything, it’ll be something it knew you needed anyways.